Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho during the launch of the fumigation exercise in Mombasa on Monday. [Photo: Hassan Joho/ facebook.com]
Environmental experts in Mombasa have rubbished the county government’s ongoing fumigation exercise, saying the programme was launched too late.The Active Environment Group (AEG) said that the Mombasa County government should have conducted the exercise when the Dengue fever outbreak was reported in the county in mid-November last year.AEG Chair Ben Wemali said the county government did not take any prompt measures to carry out a fumigation exercise then, arguing that is the reason why mosquitos have been breeding, leading to a Chikungunya and O'nyong’nyong’ outbreak.Wemali criticised the county government, accusing it of carrying out a public relations exercise instead of taking health matters in the county seriously.“All these outbreaks are as a result of poor environmental management in the county, with heaps of unmanaged solid waste all over including the Central Business District,” said Wemali.He noted that the county has not educated residents about Dengue fever, Chikungunya or O'nyong’nyong’ virus, accusing it of instead trying to evade the reality on the ground.“Residents have been grappling with the Chikungunya disease since the first week of December yet the county government is telling us about only 40 cases. Where did they get the data? Do they visit all the public and private hospitals to see how locals are suffering?” asked Wemali.He urged Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho to always dialogue with health and environmental stakeholders in the county to ensure that such outbreaks are handled through a multi-sectoral agency approach in a bid to quell the fear among residents.On Monday, Joho launched a fumigation exercise within the county in a bid to contain the breeding of a certain breed of mosquito which is known to spread Chikungunya and O'nyong’ nyong’ diseases.Is there a newsworthy accident, incident or event happening in Mombasa County that you want Hivisasa to cover? Tell us what is happening by joining this group and have it published. http://bit.ly/2BipYa6